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When you drink a well-made beer, much of what you smell and taste comes from the malts in it. Malt is the source of the sugar that the yeast ferments, providing body to the beer.

Aside from being one of the Reinheitsgebot's permitted ingredients (Reinheitsgebot regulates the purity of beer), what exactly is it?

Malt is a seed that has been moistened so it begins to sprout, which is then kiln-dried to stop the growth. It can be made from barley, wheat, rye, oats or any other cereal grain, though barley malt is by far the most common. As the seed sprouts, it starts to break down its proteins and carbohydrates into starches to provide food for the growing plant. Those starches will later be converted to sugars during the mash.

Historically, malt was made by spreading the wet grains on the floor of a large hall, and raking them by hand to assure even germination. This technique is still used for specialized malt types, but mass-produced varieties are now made in large rotating drums that enable the malt producer (maltster) to precisely control the temperature and moisture level of the grains.

If the malt is packaged up after sprouting and drying, it is known as base malt, which is what forms the bulk of a beer recipe. However, it can be further processed to become one of the many kinds of specialty malts that give different beers their characteristic flavors. One most used is crystal malt. To make it, the maltster heats the grain to about 150 degrees while it's still wet, causing enzymes in the grain to break down the starches into sugars. After this, the grain is heated and dried, caramelizing the sugar. Depending on the temperature and roasting time, its flavor can come out as sweet and grainy, toasted and nutty, or even slightly roasty. This malt is the source of the flavors that I often mention when I describe a beer's taste.

The malt can also be dry roasted at a higher temperature, causing it to turn brown and develop coffee- or chocolate-like flavors. These malts are used in dark beers like porters and stouts to provide their characteristic darkness and taste.

In the United States, most malting barley is grown in North Dakota and Montana. In Europe, the hotspots of barley production are in Great Britain, Germany and the part of the Czech Republic historically known as Moravia.

So, what about the beer ads claiming “We use only the finest malt... ”?

Well, that depends on how you define finest.

There are two kinds of barley — two row and six row, named for the arrangement of kernels in the head.

Six row has the most enzymes needed to convert starches into sugars, which is important to Big Beer since they use a lot of corn or rice (which contributes no enzymes) alongside the malt to lighten their beer. Two row, on the other hand, is regarded as having the best flavor characteristics, and is, unsurprisingly, the choice of craft brewers.

I know which one I'd pick.

Markus Haas is the beer writer for the Express-News. Follow him on Twitter @saen_beerguy or email mhaas@express-news.net.